(February 9, 2023 / JNS) There were fewer antisemitic incidents in the United Kingdom in 2022 than in 2021 but the number remains very high and concerning, according to a report published today.
The “Antisemitic Incidents 2022” report, produced by the Community Security Trust, which represents Britain’s Jewish community on security and other matters, found 1,652 reported incidents last year, including 137 classified as “violent” and 74 involving desecration or damage of Jewish property.
That represents a 27% drop from the prior year, which saw a record 2,261 reported incidents. Many of those came in May 2021, when Hamas in Gaza fired more than a thousand rockets at Israeli communities.
The 2022 figure represents the fifth-highest number of antisemitic incidents since the Community Security Trust began tracking antisemitism in 1984.
The overwhelming majority of 2022’s incidents (900) occurred in Greater London. There were 210 in the Greater Manchester region. Nearly every U.K. region reported at least some antisemitism.
“Whilst I welcome the fact that there has been a 27% decrease, it is unacceptable that the underlying baseline of what is considered normal pre-pandemic is still the fifth-highest total ever recorded,” said Lord John Mann, an adviser on antisemitism to the British government.
The report findings are a reminder to stay vigilant, Mann added. “The Jewish community should be able to live their lives free from hatred, abuse and violence both online and offline, and these figures demonstrate the vital need for antisemitism education in schools,” he said.
A trend that the report identified as “concerning” was the 141 incidents of hate targeting Jewish minors. The report also found that offenders under 18 committed nearly 160 reported acts of Jew-hatred.
“Each month, CST receives well over 100 reports of anti-Jewish hatred. This is what everyday antisemitism now looks like and it is without any particular trigger event, whether domestic or overseas,” Mark Gardner, CST’s chief executive, stated.
“The devil in the detail is the growing number of children who feature as both victims and perpetrators,” he said. “We need better education and role models for young people and more prosecutions for high profile cases.”
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